As we approach a new decade, it looks like the ‘20s are all the rage. In Samsung’s case, make that the S20.
In launching its new flagship phone, Samsung joined Huawei in skipping the numbering convention that is still being followed by Apple. While the iPhone moved from the X to the 11, Huawei had jumped from its “P10” edition to the P20 two years ago, followed by the P30 last year, with the P40 expected next month. Similarly, Samsung is moving from the S10 to the S20, avoiding the impression of following in the wake of the iPhone 11.
The S20 flagships were codenamed “Picasso”. This emphasised the fact that the camera and screen would, once again, be the headline feature across the range, led by three devices.
The Galaxy S10e has been succeeded by the Galaxy S20, the Galaxy S10 by the Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S10+ by the Galaxy S20 Ultra. This may cause some confusion between the Plus devices, but does move the S20 away from the “e” positioning as a cheap phone.
The devices have screens of 6.2″, 6.7″ and 6.9″, respectively – a big leap over the S10 range. That makes the smallest and largest versions only marginally smaller than Note10 and Note10+, emphasising the fact that the smartphone market has now transitioned entirely towards large display formats.
All feature a three-camera set-up on the back, with an additional “time-of-flight” distance sensor that give it the look of a 4-lens array. The handsets all feature 8K recording on the back and 4K recording from the selfie camera on the front.
The cameras on the S20 and S20+ are 12MP main wide + 64MP telephoto + 12MP Ultra-wide sensors, with a time-of-flight sensor. This translates to 3X optical zoom, with 8K 30FPS video recording.
The Ultra features an absurdly powerful sensor: a 108-megapixel monster that is augmented by artificial intelligence, combining 9 pixels into 1. That means dramatically more detail, and better low-light photography.
It also features 48MP telephoto + 12MP ultra-wide sensors, with a time-of-flight sensor. The 108MP camera uses pixel binning to create one large 2.4μm pixel, with a 12-megapixel final image size. It features 10X optical zoom with 100X digital zoom.
The Galaxy Unpacked event, held in San Francisco and live-streamed globally, was streamed entirely with Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra devices, showing Samsung walking their talk about the devices being ready for professional use.
Leaving off the headphone jack – which is becoming superfluous in the age of wireless earpods – gives the devices more space for bigger batteries. The S20 features a 4000mAh battery, the S20+ a 4500mAh unit, and the S20 Ultra a whopping 5000mAh. The better to keep that 8K video recording going. Luckily, the baseline storage on these devices will be 128GB, probably going up to 1 Terabyte – a cool thousand gigs.
The Galaxy S20 will be available for R18999, the Galaxy S20+ for R20999, and the S20 Ultra for R26999. Preorders of the S20+ and S20 Ultra will include the Galaxy Buds+.
In short, everything is bigger in the twenties.
- Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram on @art2gee
- The original version of this story was written prior to the launch of the Galaxy S20 range. It is being updated as details are confirmed and added.
Read the announcement from Samsung on the next page.
Samsung today unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S20, a new series of flagship devices that change the way we capture and experience our world. The Galaxy S20 series introduces a new camera architecture that combines AI with Samsung’s largest image sensor yet for stunning image quality.
“As we enter this new decade, how we communicate and how we experience the world around us has evolved,” said Justin Hume, Director: Integrated Mobility at Samsung South Africa. “Samsung is therefore providing a next-generation device for transforming people’s lives. With an incredible AI-powered camera, you can capture the moments as they happen and connect more seamlessly with the people you love.”
Designed for the way we live, the Galaxy S20 introduces a new camera system—powered by AI and with its biggest image sensor yet—to bring out the best in every image and every moment.
- Details in Stunning Clarity: The Galaxy S20’s camera offers super-high resolution (108MP for the Galaxy S20 Ultra; 64MP for the Galaxy S20 and S20+) to bring out the details with stunning clarity. The Galaxy S20 Ultra takes things a step further by combining nine pixels into one at the sensor level for higher quality images in low light, using cutting-edge binning technology.
- Groundbreaking Zoom Capability: With the Galaxy S20’s Space Zoom technology, even when you are far away, you can zoom in close. Use up to 30X zoom on the Galaxy S20 and 20+, or step-up to the S20 Ultra’s revolutionary folded lenses with 10x lossless zoom for 100x Space Zoom. With advanced crop-zoom technology, S20 users can also capture a shot, crop it and edit it more easily, while maintaining the amazing quality.
- Single Take, Multiple Possibilities: Single Take lets you stay in the moment, while you capture the moment. The Galaxy S20 can capture a number of photo and videos, such as live focus, cropped, ultra-wide and more, and use AI to recommend the best shots.
- Pro-Grade Filming Capability: The Galaxy S20 offers 8K video shooting, so users can capture their world in true-to-life colour and quality. Even the bumpiest videos look like they were shot using a gimbal, thanks to Super Steady and its anti-rolling stabilisation and AI motion analysis. And when you are done shooting, stream your video to a Samsung QLED 8K TV and enjoy a best-in-class viewing experience.
As our latest, flagship device, the Galaxy S20 series feature the premium technologies that Galaxy fans have come to know and expect. The most secure device Samsung has ever made, the Galaxy S20 is protected by Knox—the industry-leading mobile security platform that protects the device from the chip level through the software level. The Galaxy S20 also features a new, secure processor, called Guardian Chip, to protect against hardware-based attacks.
Powered by a big, intelligent battery, the Galaxy S20 line comes with a 25W fast charger, while the Ultra supports 45W Super Fast charging.
With S20, you can also experience Samsung’s cleanest, simplest, most intuitive interface yet with One UI 2. You can also use the Galaxy S20 to control your smart home with SmartThings, achieve your health and wellness goals with Samsung Health, and pay on the go with Samsung Pay.